Hate Among the Bookshelves
by Missus Carlikins
Summary: Derek hated that if he was completely honest with himself he'd realize he didn't really hate Stiles at all. [Sterek; AU]
1. it's raining books

inspired by a picture of surly librarian derek drawn by **pembroke** on tumblr (post/30776486485/hey-look-i-finally-got-around-to-drawing-surly)

I really wanted to write some Librarian!Derek so this ficlet was born, but that didn't satisfy me and so I've decided I'm just going to write a bunch of ficlets and maybe they'll sort of start to play out into a plot or something, or they might just remain loosely connected with no plot in sight, who knows.

Enjoy the ficlets.

* * *

Derek loved libraries. He loved the comfortable silence and the smell of ink. He loved how every book had a different story waiting to be told.

Derek hated people.

Especially one Stiles Stilinski, a new volunteer at the library. He was too cheery and chatty and he invaded Derek's space and Derek hated him. He hated the doe-like brown eyes that were always smiling and the mouth that never stopped moving and always drew his attention to those lips -those lips couldn't naturally be that pink, it just wasn't possible. He hated the scent that wrapped around him every time Stiles reached around him for a book or brushed against his side -like pumpkin and spice and something that was just so… Stiles.

Derek hated everything about him.

x

Derek sat at the front desk reading. It was slow, early enough that the after school crowd hadn't shown up but late enough that the moms had to go wait in line to pick them up. There were only a few patrons scattered through the library, all busy doing their own things.

He finally had a chance to just relax.

Although there was one thing keeping him from relaxing.

He glanced over the top of his book at Stiles, eyes already narrowed in a glare. Stiles wasn't even doing anything, just shelving books, but Derek knew it was only time until he did _something_ -something that would interrupt Derek's relaxation and ruin his day.

Stiles was -as always- oblivious to his glare, bopping his head to some music that Derek couldn't hear. Every once in a while he'd bump his hip against a shelf and Derek would half rise in his seat as if he would be able to stop the shelf from toppling. Of course it never did topple. Stiles wasn't that strong.

After at least ten minutes of watching him work Derek realized he was acting like a creep and went back to reading his book, at least until he heard the thud. His head shot up and his eyes widened at the sight.

Stiles was on the ground, multiple books piled on top and around him. He was rubbing at his head and staring at up the shelf in confusion. Derek didn't even think, just leapt over the desk and moved his side.

"Are you okay?" he asked and Stiles looked up at him, a smile breaking across his face.

"Yeah. I just lost my footing and the books decided to come down with me. They just can't keep their paws off of me." Derek stared at Stiles for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.

"You're impossible."

"That's what my dad always says." Stiles moved the books off of him and looked at Derek expectantly. "Now are you going to help me up like a gentleperson or are you just going to watch me struggle?"

Derek arched an eyebrow but held out his hand and Stiles grinned as he grabbed it. He hauled him to his feet and bent down to start re-shelving the books.

"No don't," Stiles said, batting his hands away. "This is my job. Go man the desk. We don't want anyone to steal a book on your watch."

Derek rolled his eyes but did as he was told. He couldn't keep his eyes away from Stiles, even though he tried, and more than once he caught Stiles staring back. Whenever that happened Stiles would flash him a smile and Derek told himself that his cheeks definitely did not grow warmer.

x

Derek hated Stiles.

He hated that all Stiles had to do was smile and his heart would be faster. He hated that all he wanted to do was protect the klutz from everything -including himself. He hated that he didn't mind when Stiles chattered his ear off. He hated that he missed Stiles when he wasn't there and couldn't keep his eyes off him when he was.

He hated that if he was completely honest with himself he'd realize he didn't really hate him at all.


	2. birthday presents and chocolate cake

I think the POV will probably shift from Derek-centric to Stiles-centric depending on the content of the ficlet.

* * *

Derek froze when his eyes landed on the present sitting at _his_ desk. There was no mistaking it; bright, obnoxious bow and shiny paper riddled with balloons.

That was definitely a birthday present.

Before he could even think of escaping two arms wrapped around him and a body pressed against his side. "Happy birthday!" Stiles sang far too loudly and directly into Derek's ear.

Derek thought about his options. He could throw Stiles and the present out the door or he could burn the present into ash. As tempting as they were he knew he could do neither. When Stiles turned his shining eyes on him he sighed and pushed the younger boy away.

"How?" he asked, although he had a feeling he already knew.

"When I ran into Laura at the supermarket her cart was full of very birthday themed items and when I asked her about it she said your birthday was coming up. I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"Maybe I didn't tell you for a reason," Derek growled, stalking towards the desk. He eyed the present like it might bite him and pushed it as far away from him as he could.

"Oh come on. You can't honestly say you don't want to celebrate this wonderful day!" When he didn't react Stiles sighed and leaned across the desk until he was very much in Derek's face. "Look Derek, I'm going to make this easy for you. You're going to smile and open your present and thank me and I won't throw you a birthday party. Or you can sulk and throw the present away but then you may show up at work one day to streamers and balloons and a giant birthday cake. People will talk to you and actually touch you. So which is the worse fate?" Stiles leaned back, arms crossing over his chest, and smirked victoriously. He knew as well as Derek did that he'd won this time.

Derek stared at him for a moment and for a brief second thought about turning away the present, but just the idea of walking in on a party made him shudder. So in the end he looked away and grabbed the present, earning an excited clap from Stiles.

"You'll love it." Stiles grinned and pulled one of the nearby chairs up so he could sit. Derek just sighed and ripped the bow of and setting it on the desk before he got started on the paper.

The present was a book, a leather bound journal to be exact. The cover had an imprint of a wolf, head thrown back in a howl. His fingers skimmed over it lightly and he looked up at Stiles with a question in his eyes and his throat surprisingly tight with an emotion he chose not to name.

Stiles smiled at his expression and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "I've seen you scrawling story notes on post-its and when I saw this I just knew you had to have it." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and Derek thought he noticed a pink tinge to his cheeks. "I actually bought it before I even knew your birthday was coming up and I'd just been trying to think of a not awkward way to give it to you."

Derek smiled down at the journal and traced the wolf with his finger. "I feel like this is too fancy for my story notes."

"Nonsense. Journals were made to be written in. It doesn't care what the words are as long as it gets filled. Besides when you become a world famous author I can tell everyone I gave you your first journal."

Derek snorted and looked up sharply when Stiles jumped to his feet. "What now?"

Seemingly out of nowhere Stiles pulled two cupcakes and Derek knew without asking that they were his favorite kind from Laura's bakery. "Stiles," he warned but Stiles shushed him.

"No. No rules. You're allowed to make an expectation on your birthday. We're nowhere near the books anyways."

Derek sighed but accepted the cupcake. Thankfully Stiles opted out on singing so they could eat their cupcakes before having to open. Derek nearly melted when he took the first bite. No one could make chocolate cupcakes quite like his sister, and she always added cherry filling for him.

"Your sister is awesome," Stiles said, mouth half full. Derek would've reprimanded him but considering he had his mouth full of cupcake he figured it'd be pointless.

Once the cakes were gone Stiles cleaned up and Derek went to unlock the front doors. When he got back to his desk he couldn't help be smile down at the journal.

"What do you think?" Stiles asked and Derek looked up in confusion. What he saw made him arch an eyebrow and smile. Stiles had stuck the bow on top of his head and Derek had to bite back his first response which would've been dumb. Stiles was definitely not a present.

"Not your color."

"Well you have crappy style." Stiles stuck his tongue out and disappeared in the back to start shelving. Derek rolled his eyes but then it was time to work and he returned to being the professional Derek who didn't smile like an idiot whenever he thought about Stiles in the bow.

Although he couldn't keep from smiling every time he saw the journal sitting on his desk.


	3. and suddenly backstory

Wrote this up last night... it's just some backstory.

* * *

Stiles was busier than he thought he'd be during his last summer before going off to college. He had his volunteering at the library, helping Laura at the bakery, and of course making sure his dad and Scott survived the summer. He had no time for romance, which was fine by him since the only person he wanted to romance had absolutely no interest in him.

Unfortunately that seemed to be his curse.

First it was Lydia throughout his school career and even when it became pretty clear that she and Jackson were a done deal, Stiles just couldn't give up hope. Instead of a boyfriend he became one of Lydia's best friends, which was fine because she was a totally awesome person to hang out with and at least she was treating him as a human now instead of just some inanimate object.

He remembered when he actually came out to her during their senior year. He'd been a nervous wreck –more so because he was afraid she would think he'd been lying all those times he told her he loved her than because he was afraid she wouldn't accept him- but she'd just laughed and said she'd known for two years now.

When he'd realized he liked dudes just as much as girls he'd nearly had a panic attack, especially because at the time he'd realized he didn't love Lydia anymore. Well he did love her, but it was the sibling love, the same type of love he felt for Allison and Scott. Since the third grade he'd been crushing on her and suddenly he wasn't. He felt vulnerable, but at the same time it was nice. It was like a weight had been lifted off his chest and suddenly he was viewing the world in a different light.

Enter Derek.

Derek had just moved back from New York after running off with Kate Argent. The town was abuzz with his arrival and Stiles had nearly died when he walked into the bakery and seen Derek behind the counter. The last time he'd seen Derek was when he was 10. His dad had been invited to one of the Hale's barbeques and of course he'd gone. Stiles mom had still been alive at the time and Derek had just met Kate and everything had been perfect.

Derek was nothing like the 16 year old Stiles remembered. He'd aged (well of course he'd aged, it had been 8 years); his eyes were hard and cold and his lips seemed to be pulled down in a permanent frown. Stiles heart had fluttered out of fear and something else when Derek turned a glare on him.

Derek was _attractive_, and now that Stiles had been freed of his first love he was able to recognize it and appreciate it and totally not fantasize about it.

Derek was emotionally messed up and kept his distance from others. Stiles didn't know the whole story but Laura had told him the gist of it. Kate had screwed him over pretty bad, once they got to New York she'd dumped his ass and kicked him out on the street. Derek had been too ashamed to come home –Stiles' assumption- and instead survived up there. He got a job and got his GED when he was 17 and then managed to put himself through college.

Stiles had spent the rest of his senior year thinking about Derek when he should've been doing school work. He was surprised he managed to pass any of his classes with how distracted he was.

It wasn't until he'd got the job volunteering at the library that he realized just how far he'd fallen.

When Derek had stopped showing up at the bakery Stiles had casually (and by casually he meant blurted the question out of the blue) asked Laura about where Derek was. She'd laughed and told him that Derek had managed to land a job at the library. Stiles hadn't even been planning to start volunteering, but he'd shown up to check out Derek and had ended up organizing the shelves. One of the other librarians had caught him and before he could apologize he'd been offered a spot on the staff.

That was when he realized he was crushing on Derek. Hard.

Probably harder than he'd crushed on Lydia.

At least with the job at the library Derek was finally noticing him, even if Stiles had to practically shove himself down Derek's pants to get noticed.

Not that Stiles thought about shoving anything down Derek's pants.


End file.
